Apparatus for washing photographic prints



Oct. 18, 1932. J, R R 1,882,903

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS Filed Aug. 8, 1930 I 1:; :11; E. R.

Kk IE 9 flQW 6 W 11961 I Fla. 6.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JAMESIC. REID, (TIL, OF SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO APPABATUS'FOR WASHING PHOTOGRAIPHIG PRINTS Application filed August 8, 1930. Serial No, 473,805.

T hisinvention relates toimprovements in photographic finishing apparatus and is pr1- marily designedfor the washing of photographic prints and film negatives.

5 It is well? known, inpractically every photographic operation, that it is absolutely necessary to washthe developed print or negative thoroughly in order to remove every trace of. the chemicalsused in the process of making the prints or developing the negatives and-it is also-a well established fact that the obtaining ofisuocessful photographic products depends, in a very large measure, upon the thoroughness; of the washing process.-

In; order to properly washprints it is recommendeduby those skilled in this art that the print-sheimmersed. in. ten. or more changes. of water, allowing themto. remain about five minuteslint each, and transferring them singly, by hand, from one water'to the next; Obviously, this. is a tedious process for the amateur-and prohibitive in commercial operations. As; a result, various types 2 and classes of mechanical equipments have been devised and my extended study of this problem liasfami-liarized me with all of the devices which. are onathe market-as well as with. those disclosed in the .patented art.

developed for this purpose comprises a perforatedmetalf drum in which the prints are placed-and which issubmerged-inwater, and.

turned slowly. by power while submerged, the

water meanwhile being constantly changed by the addition ofrfresh water,rwhile an overflow ismaintained to; awaste connection.

In another type of; washer, the prints are placedinaspecial open, stationary pan or 4 tray, filledwith waterwhich is agitated and renewed by one'or-1 more; stationary jets of water,.directedinto.the body of waterin various ways; Another; type of washer includes a pan filled with, water and automatic mechanism for completely changing the water in thepan periodically. Still other pantypes of devices contemplate the use of manually operable agitators for causing the prints-to move, thru the water. All of the above devices. have; certain disadvantages or:

Onetypeof these: devices which has been.

objections. These prior devices are either large and bulky in size, complicated in construction, expensive to manufacture, likely to injure delicate films or prints or are deficient in functioning.

The apparatus which forms the subject matter of this invention belongs to that class of inventions which comprises an open pan or tray and in which the agitation of the prints and the change of water is efiected by a jet of water. The deficiency of thistype of apparatus as heretofore constructed, is its tendency to plaster or pack the prints against the bottom of the pan or against the side of the pan opposite to the jet, or otherwise to mat the prints together in a relatively solid mass. I have found that in previous devices of this type, prints are not individually separated, one from the other, and as a result they are not sufficiently washed.

The purpose of this invention is, therefore, to produce a washer of this class which will eliminate the tendency of the prints to adhere together or to the pan, and which will eii'ectively separate the prints in water, 7 one from the other, and which will continuously keep them agitated whereby each print will be exposed to the washing action of the water.

A further object of this invention is to produce a water admitting jet for apparatus of this type which will automatically change the direction of the stream entering the water throughout the entire period of washing.

A further object of this invention is to produce a washer of this type which will perform this function with a minimum amount of water.

A further object of this invention is to produce apparatus of this type which will perform this function automatically, without any attention on the part of the operator.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this class which does not require a special reservoir for water but which is readily attachable to and detachable from, any usual type of pan such as a dishpan or tray.

A further object of this invention is to produce a device of this type which may be stored in a small space when not in use by the operator or when on the shelves of the dealer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a washer of this type, particularly for the amateur, which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and certain in its operation.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and'from reference to the accompanying drawing.

The annexed drawing "and description set forth in detail certain means embodying this invention, such disclosed means constituting,lhowever, but a few of the forms in which the principle of this invention may be applied.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved device attached to a pan of usual type, the pan eing' shown in section and the device being shown attached to an ordinary water faucet.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion ofFigure 1 showing the main elements of my improved device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of Figure 2, this viewbeing taken from the plane indicated by line 3, 3 in said figure.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line 4, i in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of a modification of one detail of my invention.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a slight modification of one element.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the modification shown in Figure 6 the pan being shown in section.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with one of the elements omitted, this device being adapted for. certain types of photographic products and having a larger ca pacity thanthe deviceshown in Figure 1.

As will become appar nt from the following specifications this improved apparatus is adapted for treating photographic prints, photographic fihn negatives, blue prints, photostat prints, brown prints, etc. It is also useful for many other purposes where a continuous gentle agitation of articles in liquid and where a frequent change of liquid in contact with the article is required. It is also valuable for other similar processes such, for instance, as'the soak ng of postage stamps or other stickers from paper. It is to be understood therefore thatthewordprintorfilm where hereinafter used, shall be given a broad interpretation and shall comprise any article which be treated with this improved apparatus. V It is furth er to be understood that the term water or liquid shall refer to any liquid or solution which may be used with this apparatus.

This improved print washing device is portable and is adapted to be used with and, in fact, mounted upon, a pan of any usual type such as a dish-pan A as shown in F igures 1 and 8, which pan does not require any special features, except that it must be capable of containing water. A usual source of water for print washing is a faucet such, for instance, as is indicated at B, Figure 1, which supplies the water under pressure. The improved device which forms the subject matter of this invention is adapted to transfer the water from the faucet B to the pan A in a novel manner whereby the efficient washing of the prints is effected.

This improved portable device consists of a hollow body 1, which constitutes the main member of this improved device to which the other elements are attached. This body 1, may be of any desired shape but is preferably made in straight tubular form as shown in the drawing. This body is supported on the edge of the pan A as shown and by mechanism which will hereinafter be described, one end of this body extending outwardly beyond the edge of the pan and the other end being located above the inside of the pan.

To the outer end of the body 1, a flexible rubber hose 2 is attached by means of the usual hose clamp 3. hose is connected by a similarhose clamp 3 and coupling 4 to the faucet B as clearly shown. This hose 2 is preferably flexible so as to permit the movement of the pan A and body 1 with relation to the faucet B. It will be understood that the hose must be of suflicient strength to withstand the water pressure supplied by the faucet B.

Mounted upon the inner end of the body 1, is an elbow 5. This elbow is preferably formed by boring two intersecting holes in a metallic block in order that it may have a greater weight than would be provided by an elbow of the ordinary type. The reason for the provision of weight at this point will be later explained. The inlet end of this elbow 5 is attached to the body 1 and a nipple or nozzle 6 is attached to the outlet of this elbow which, as shown in the drawing, points in adownwardly direction. The connection between the elbow and the body 1 and nozzle 6 may be made in any desired manner as by threading, soldering, or any other method and, in fact, the elbow might conceivably be formed integral with the body 1 and/or the nozzle 6. The nozzle 6 is provided with a relatively small opening 16, as shown in Figure 2.

The body 1, is preferably supported on the edge of the pan A in a horizontal position in such a manner that the elbow 5 will be approximatcly'over the center of the pan. The preferred means for holding this body 1 at any desired position with relation to The other end of this the pan, is shown in Figures 2, 3, and 1. This holding means consists of a U-shaped member 7 having the ends of the parallel sides of the U turned down to form hooks or stops 7a which engage the outside of the rim of the pan. The central portion of the U is bent downwardly to pass under the body 1, as shown at 7 Z) in Figure 4, so that the body 1, and the parallel sides of the U-shaped member 7 may all rest on the rim of the pan, with the parallel sides of the U substantially parallel with the body 1.

An angularly formed spring member 8, adjustably mounted lengthwise of the body member 1, is used to clamp the member 7 against the body, at the desired point in the length of the body. Each leg of the member 8 is formed with a hole 8w thru which the body 1 passes. These holes are preferably formed as shown in Figures 3 and 4, being somewhat elongated in a direction parallel with the legs of the spring member 8 and having their ends 86, which lie adjacent to the endsof the legs, formed in a broad V-shape adapted to bear against the body 1 at two points. Since the lower portion of the U-shaped member 7 lies withinjthe' heel of the angularly formed spring member 8, and between this heel and the body l, the outer V-shaped ends 8?) of the holes 8a in these legs bear against the upper portion of the body 1, under the influence of the elasticity of the spring member 8. Thus the springmember 8 is secured by friction to the body 1, and at the same time, the U- shaped member 7 is drawn upwardly and clamped against the under portion of the body. It will be seen that it is necessary for the holes in the legs of the Vshaped spring member 8 to be sufliciently elongated to permit the spring member 8 to be flexed, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, to permit the body 1 to pass thru the legs of the spring member 8 at an angle to these legs, without any binding or clamping action of these legs on the body.

The tube 1 is further supported and held in position by the brace 9, which is a flat member, bent approximately as shown, and having a hole 9a near its upper end thru which the body 1 passes. Because the hole in the brace 9 isbut slightly larger than the body 1, the brace will be tightly clamped to the body by any movement which tends to vary the angle between the upper portion of the brace and the body from 90 degrees. In mounting the print washing device upon any pan A, the brace 9 1s slid along the body 1 n toward the elbow 5, merely to get it out of the way forthe moment. Then the legs of the angularly formed spring member 8 are manually compressed as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, and the member 8 together with the member 7, are slid along the body 1 until theelbow 5 is approximately over the center of the pan A when the hooks 7a on the member 7 are hooked over the edge or rim of the pan. The spring member 8 is then released whereupon it will frictionally clamp the memher 7 to the body 1, as explained above. The brace 9 is then slid along the body until its lower end touches the side of the pan A. The weight of the device, principally concentrated in the elbow 5, has a tendency to slide the lower end of the brace 9 down the side of the pan, and hence clamps the brace9firmlyto the body 1. At the same time the hooks 7a of member 7 are brought firmly against the edge of the pan A under the influence of the weighted elbow o. If the body 1 does not lie sufiiciently horizontally, a slight motion of the brace 9 along the body 1 will cause it to do so. It will also be understood that the brace 9 provides a means for regulating the height of the elbow 5 and the nozzle 6 above the bottom of the pan. It will be evident that the device can be adjusted to any pan within the limits of its range, i. e., to any pan whose diameter is not greater than twice the length of this device measured from the hooks 7 a of member 7 to the elbow 5.

Figures 6 and 7 disclose an alternative construction of the means for supporting the body 1 upon the edge of the pan A, in which the body does not rest upon the rim of the pan but is vertically spaced therefrom. This alternative construction comprises a fiat member 17 provided with downwardly projecting pins 18 bearing against the rim of the pan A and performing substantially the same function as the hooks 7 a. A spring element 19 bent substantially as shown, is secured to the member 17 in any desired manner. This element 19 is provided with two holes 1960 thru which the body 1 passes. The engagement of these holes 1901, in the flexed element 19, with the body 1 frictionally holds the body in spaced relation from the member 17. A brace 9 is also used in conjunction with the elements 17, 18, and 19 to hold the body 1 at the desired inclination.

Secured to the nozzle 6 is a piece of rubber tube 10, preferably made of the pure gum, to secure a maximum of flexibility. I prefer to use a tube for this purpose which has an inside diameter of approximately or T g and a length about 1 greater than the distance from the nozzle 6 to the bottom of the pan. In the lower end of this rubber tube a discharge nozzle 11 is secured. This nozzle preferably has two outlets as shown in Figure 2, one outlet 12 being parallel with the axis of the tube and a second outlet 13 being formed at right angles with the axis of the tube.

An alternate method of making this nozzle is shown in Figure 5 where the nozzle 14 at the outlet of the tube 10 has one opening 15 at an angle of about 15 degrees with the center line of the nozzle and the tube.

It is to be artiauniy noted that the 1151s 16 in the nozzle 6 must be considerably smaller in cross-sectional area than the combined cross-seetiona-l area of holes 12 and 13 in V supply, and unless ample area is provided for its escape thru holes 12 and 13 in nozzle 11, or thru hole 15 in nozzle 14, there may be a pressure built up in the tube 10 sufficient to rupture it.

I As willbe understood this device must be constructed of material which will not afiect nor become affected by the liquid used in the process for instance, I prefer to make this device of brass for washing photographic prints, since any trace of iron would be harmful for this purpose.

The use and operation of the above device is as follows: The pan A selected to serve as a container for the water and as a support for this improved washing device, is filled with water and placed in a sink, wash tray, or other place supplied with a source of water under pressure and a drain. The washing d vice is then connected to the faucet and mounted upon the pan as previously described, with the flexible tube 10 preferably suspended in the center of the pan. The photographic prints are then placed in the pan and the water is turned on at the faucet, which will cause jets of water to issue from the openings 12 and 13 in the nozzle 11. Each of the jets of water issuing from these openings produces a re-acting force upon the nozzle 11, and the combined effect of the two jets is a re-acting force upon the nozzle at an angle of about 415 degrees with the center line of the nozzle, which I have found to give the best result. A like result is produced by the discharge opening 15 in the nozzle 14. Under the re-acting force referred to, the flexible tube will be observed to whip to and fro in the water, with the nozzle 11 (or 14) usually sliding on the bottom of the pan. The motion of the tube is irregular, so that the jets of water issuing from the nozzle are discharged in every direction along the bottom of the pan. By this means the photographic prints are prevented from settling together in a mass, but instead are kept separated, and kept in constant gentle motion, while the surplus water rises to the top and overflows the edge of the pan. It will be evident that the weight of the elbow 5, by its inertia, will resist deflection or vibration due to the re-action of the tube 10 in addition to holding the entire device firmly down in place upon the edge of the pan.

I have found that when this device is used to wash photographic prints, they are not harmed by the action of the tube 10 and the nozzle 11 rubbing against them as the tube whips to and fro in the water, because the gelatine emulsion on the prints is sufficiently hard to resist the action. This is not true, however, in the case of film negatives, the gelatine emulsion on which is much softer, when wet, than that on photographic prints.

It is .just as essential to thoroughly wash the film negatives as the prints, and this can be very effectively accomplished by this device, by surrounding the tube 10 with a wire screen 20, Figure 1, made of brass or other material which is not affected chemically by the solution. This screen is preferably circular in plan, of a diameter suflicient to allow free play to the tube 10 and terminal nozzle, and as deep as the pan in which it is used. The film negatives are placed in the annular space between this screen and the sides of the pan, the screen serving as a sort of barrier to prevent contact between the negatives and the tube 10 or nozzle 11, but at the same time allowing the jets of water to pass thru andagitate and wash the negatives and keep them suspended in the solution.

It will be understood from the arrangement of the apparatus shown in Figure 8, that it is adapted for the washing of photo graphic prints andother articles which will not be harmed by contact with the moving tube 10 or nozzle and that the arrangement of the parts as in Figure 1 is recommended for treating sensitive lilm negatives or other very delicate articles.

It should be pointed out that while I have indicated in the drawing and specification that the re-active forces acting upon the terminal nozzle in the tube 10 are substantially at 15 degrees with the axis of the tube, I do not desire to be limited to this angle or to any definite angle, as many different angles may be used, depending upon the result desired.

It should also be noted that it is not absolutely essential that the flexible tube 10 be suspended in the geometric center of the pan altho this position is desirable because of the uniform effect exerted by the tube in all directions.

My invention also contemplates the use of a plurality of these devices mounted on the rim of a pan and each performing the function described, when it is desired to use a relatively large pan; or a plurality of tubes 10 and nozzles 11 supported by a single body and supplied with water from a single source.

Many modifications of this invention and its application will naturally occur to those skilled in this art, and these present disclosures should therefore be considered as typical, and I desire not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a photographic print washer, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain liquid, a flexible tube suspended in said vessel and provided with a liquid discharging outlet, the discharge of liquid from said outlet being adapted to impart motion to said outlet in a direction transversely of the axis of said tube adjacent said outlet.

2. A photographic print washer comprising a receptacle for water and a flexible tube suspended in said receptacle, a portion or said tube resting upon the bottom of said receptacle, a discharge outlet substantially at the lower end of said tube, and means adapted to regulate the length of said portion resting upon said bottom.

3. A photographic print washer comprising a pan and a flexible tube suspended in said pan, said tube being adapted to discharge water in a direction at an angle with the axis of said tube at the point of discharge.

4. A photographic print washer comprising a pan and a flexible tube for supplying water to said pan, said tube being provided with an outlet formed at an angle with the axis of said tube.

5. In a photographic print washer, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain liquid, a flexible liquid supply device suspended in said vessel, and means adapted to prevent the supply device from contacting said prints.

6. In a photographic print washer, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain liquid, a movable nozzle contained within said vessel and adapted to supply liquid to said vessel, and means adapted to prevent the prints from contacting said nozzle.

7. In an apparatus for washing photographic prints, in combination, a vessel adapted to contain liquid, and a liquid supply element positioned in said vessel and movably mounted relatively to said vessel, and a screen element adapted to separate said supply element and said prints.

8. In a photographic print washing apparatus, in combination, a pan, a relatively rigid tubular member adapted to supply water to said pan and provided with an inlet substantially at one end of said tube and an outlet substantially at the other end of said tube and means adapted to support said tubular member in a substantially horizontal position upon the edge of said pan.

9. In a photographic print washing apparatus, in combination, a pan, a relatively rigid tubular member provided with an inlet and an outlet and means located interme diate said inlet and said outlet adapted to suport said tube upon the edge of said pan.

10. A portable print washing device comprising a relatively rigid tubular member formed with an inlet and an outlet, a flexible tubular member connected with said outlet and means adapted to support said rigid tubular member on the edge of said pan.

11. A portable print washing device comprising a rigid tubular member provided with an inlet and an outlet, a flexible tube connected with said outlet and formed with a discharge opening disposed at an angle with the axis of said tube and means adapted to position said rigid tubular member on the edge of a pan.

12. A portable print washing device adapted to be positioned on the edge of a pan, comprising a. rigid tubular member and formed with an inlet and an outlet, and me ans adapted to adjust the distance of said outlet from the edge of said pan, in a direction parallel to the axis of said tubular member.

18. A portable photographic print washing mechanism adapted to be supported on the edge of a pan, comprising a tubular member forme d with an inlet and an outlet and weight means adapted to hold the mechanism in position on the pan.

14. A photographic print washer comprising a pan and a portable device adapted to be connected to a source of water under pressure and to be removably supported on the edge of said pan and provided with a flexible tubing interiorly of said pan adapted to supply water to said pan.

15. Photographic print washing apparatus comprising a pan containing liquid, a portable device adapted to be gravitationally supported on the edge of said pan and adapted to transfer liquid from a source of liquid to said pan and to agitate the liquid in said pan.

16. In a photographic print washing apparatus, a vessel adapted to contain water and a portable device adapted to be removably associated with said vessel, said device comprising a flexible tube adapted to supply water to said vessel, and formed with an inlet and an outlet, the cross-sectional area of said outlet being larger than the area of said inlet.

Signed by me this 31st day of July, 1930.

JAMES C. REID, JR. 

